Until The End
by True Mirage
Summary: Dan's POV of the first break up in episode 17, and the dance in episode 18. Two-shot. DS, obviously.
1. Hurt

"Yes."

Yes. So that was it. He hadn't heard wrong. That was her answer. That was the truth.

He has to hold back the tears that are forming in his eyes, and all of sudden he feels a painful ache in his heart. His heart, that loves her so much. His heart, which he had given to her long ago. Long before she knew.

He glances at the people behind her. Her friends. Her friends? And he doesn't think about how they must be happy now, and the thought that it was any of them that she cheated on him with doesn't cross his mind either. He just looks at them, and he realizes that this is not his world. He realizes that the girl he loves, and he, does not live in the same world. They never did. They never will.

He looks back at her, and she meets his eyes. And suddenly the girl standing in front of him is no longer the one his heart belongs to. Suddenly, her eyes become empty, and he doesn't know her anymore.

He can hardly look at her. He swallows, because there's a gulp in his throat that refuses to go away. He wants everything to go away, because the pain in his heart is starting to feel too heavy. For a moment, he doesn't think he will be able to walk out.

Because that's what he's going to do. He knows what he will do, and he closes his eyes when he says it.

"I'm done."

He takes one last look at her, afraid to see her. Afraid to see anything left to love, anything left to feel.

He repeats his words. And he leaves. He leaves her. He leaves that world, her world. He leaves everything. He leaves the past few months. He leaves every feeling he has felt in his heart for her.

Taking steps into the elevator is harder than he had expected it to be, but what is even harder is breathing. He almost has to gasp for air.  
Is this what heartbreak feels like?

The phone rings. He doesn't want to answer it. He really doesn't.

But he looks at the number presentation. It's Sarah. His new friend. The one Serena was jealous of. The one he too secretly thought maybe had some interest in him.

He doesn't know why, but he answers anyway. She proposes to meet, so they can talk.

Talk. He's not really interested, but he says yes anyway.

After hanging up, he feels it again.

Pain.

Someone like Sarah will never make that feeling go away.

Only someone like Serena could. No, only _her_.

He's in love with her. How could that ever change?

The elevator stops, and he walks out.

Dan Humphrey has learned today's lesson, that's for sure: Love? HURTS.


	2. Thinner

Looking down at the floor, thinking about the event that had just taken place, all of sudden, he bumps into the person he was least hoping to see.

"Uh, sorry...I'm looking for…Vanessa. Have you seen her? I'm trying to get out of here."

It seems like the words had left his mouth without him being any part of it, and he's very much aware of the awkwardness and everything that feels wrong in the situation. Vanessa is the least thing they both have on their mind, and he almost feels guilty for speaking a word to his former girlfriend about anything. He doesn't expect an answer, but he doesn't care.  
Serena can't meet his eyes, and he can feel the sadness and disappointment she feels.

"No, I haven't seen her."

He nods. He could've left right away, but he wants to stay. Somehow, he doesn't want to leave her.

He does though. He tells her a casual "bye", (which was, by the way, too ironic for the situation) and turns to leave.

Next thing he knows, they are both pushed together out on the dance floor, with flashes in their eyes.

She takes his arms around his neck, and he can't really look at her. It's not his fault that they're on the dance floor together (or is it?), but he can't help telling her "I'm sorry".

"Just smile." She says gently, looking slightly uncomfortable and looks away.

For what feels like an eternity, but what Dan guesses was probably only for thirty seconds, they dances. They sway their bodies slowly, with her arms around his neck and his arms around her waist. He doesn't know what the feeling he has in his body is called, and he doesn't know what to do about it.

Then, there's one last flash, and they both see the photographer leaving. Her eyes refuse to meet his, while he can't help looking at her.

"He's gone, you can let go now." She says with a gulp in her throat, stopping their dance.

"I know." He says. "I don't want to."

She freezes, and there's a small look of surprise on her face. This only makes him love her even more, just because she doesn't realize how much he truly does love her.

And then she understands. Maybe because she knows, because she feels what he feels. Because she has already understood their love. The eternity of it. Maybe she has already understood _them._

She leans into him, and it's as if the sun just shined on him. He recognizes the feelings of joy, of love, of desire. For her.

As they rest their foreheads towards each other, and love each other by feeling, they realize how everything is starting to leave them. How they're not meant to be. Not now. This isn't their time anymore. So there's sadness. There's a grief, a grief over they love, who cannot die. Only them.

They dance on that floor for what feels like an eternity, and probably was. As the people were leaving, couple by couple, so was everything they had. Everything but their love.

And then, empty. Hollow.

They stop.

_The ice is getting thinner,_

_Under me_

_And you_


End file.
